Grapple



F. J. LEGHT Oct.. 23, 1951 GRAPPLE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Jan. 2l, 1948@Gt 23 195 v F. J. MGMT 2572,49

' GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 21, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Oct. 23, 1951UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,572,499v I GRArPLE v Frank J. Light,Sandusky, Mii .'j

Application January 21, 1948, Serial No. 3,611 1 claim. (o1. 294-107)The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in grapplesand more particularly to a device of this character for use in hoistingbaled or loose hay, straw or the like, to a stack or in storing the samein barns or other buildings.

An important object of this invention is to provide a grapple to be usedin conjunction with a conventional type of trip and hoist mechanism andincluding a main hoisting bar to which a plurality of oppositelyextending grapple hooks are pivotally attached for grabbing engagementwith the load by a hoisting movement of the bar and in which the hooksat each side of the hoisting bar are connected to each other for uniformengaging and releasing movements, whereby a trip device attached to thehooks will simultaneously release all of the hooks to drop the load.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is strong and durable,efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which thesame is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing the hooks raised forgrappling a load.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the hooks lowered in grapplingposition, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional view of thecentral hoisting bar taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral 5 designates a central grapple bar having pairs of spacedapart collars or rings 6 secured thereto and at longitudinally spacedapart intervals. Each pair of collars is provided with a pivot pin 'I onwhich eyes 9 at the inner ends of oppositely extending jaws I0 arepivotally mounted, the jaws comprising substantially straight barshaving Adownwardly and inwardly inclined prongs I I at their outer ends.

Any desired number of the jaws I0 are carried by the central grapple bar5, the present embodiment of the invention illustrating ve pairs of suchjaws.

2 Each of the jaws, adjacent the junction thereof with the prongs II, isprovided with an eye or loop I2 in which a connecting bar I3 is looselypositioned to connect all of the jaws at each side of the grapple bar 5to each other for simultaneous raising and lowering movement whilepermitting the jaws IIJ to spring laterally to facilitate embedding theprongs II in tightly packed bales of hay, or the like. Heads I4 areformed at the ends of the connecting bar I 3 to limit endwise movementthereof in the eyes I2.

The central grapple bar 5 is provided with a pair of apertured hoistingrings I5 to which the ends of a hoisting rope or cable I6 are attached.the hoisting cable being raised and lowered by a conventional type ofhoist mechanism (not shown).

Each of the connecting rods I3 are also provided with apertured ears Ilto which trip cables or ropes I8 are attached, the cables I8 also beingconnected to a conventional type of trip mechanism (not shown), whichmay be used with a loading and unloading grapple of this character.

In operation of the device, the grapple is hoisted above the load, suchas a number of bales of hay or the like indicated at I9 arranged in sideby side relation, as shown in` Figure 2 of the drawings and the grappleis then lowered and the prongs I I imbedded in the respective bales.

The hoisting cable I6 is then pulled upwardly which raises the centralgrapple bar 5 and causes the prongs II to bite into the load. The prongsI I may engage a group of end bales while one or more additional balesmay be placed between the end groups of bales, as shown at 20, andwithout being grappled by one of the prongs, the prongs and hooks havinga tendency to pull the end bales inwardly toward each other to grip thecenter bales 20 and thus hoist all of the bales.

The prongs II of the hooks are released by pulling on the trip cables IBin the usual manner which thereby lifts the prongs from the bales todrop the load.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clearunderstanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description isaccordingly deemed unnecessary.

. It is to be understood, however, that even though there is hereinshown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention thesame issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A grapple comprising a central hoisting bar, pairs of collars secured tothe bar at longitudinally spaced apart intervals, a pair of grapplinghooks pivoted at their inner ends to each pair of collars and extendingoutwardly at opposite sides of the bar, aligned eyes on the hooks, androds loosely positioned in the eyes to connect the hooks at each side ofthe grapple for uniform raising and lowering movement while permittingthe hooks to spring laterally, said bar having a hoisting cable attachedthereto, and said rods having releasing cables attached thereto.

FRANK J. LIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 812,617 Thornton Feb. 13, 19062,049,679 Whiteman et al` Aug. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 122,304 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1919

